Spencer Meier tied for the United States Hockey League lead in power-play assists with 22 in 59 regular season games last season. After helping the Force win the Clark Cup, Meier is joining the St. Cloud State men's hockey team this season.(Photo11: Courtesy of Hickling Images)

In June, Meier was asked to join the St. Cloud State men's hockey team this fall. When Meier got to pick out his jersey number, he picked No. 9.

Fast forward to a few weeks later at his parents' home in Sartell and Meier ended up with a flashback when he looked in a closet.

"When I got in, they told me a list of numbers and 9 was in there and my sister (Maddie) loves the No. 9," Meier said. "This is crazy, but I have a little St. Cloud State jersey in my closet and I think it's the first jersey I ever had and I was probably 4 or 5 years old. It says, "St. Cloud State No. 9' on it."

Meier was the latest addition to this season's roster for new head coach Brett Larson. The Huskies open their season with an exhibition game against Mount Royal University at 5 p.m. Sunday at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.

It will be another moment that Meier will cherish, like his first practice with St. Cloud State in the offseason.

"The first time I had all my (Huskies) stuff on and I was on the main sheet of (Brooks Center) ice, it was surreal," he said. "Ever since I was 5, I've been watching them and coming to games.

"It's just awesome. All the (Huskies) are great and every day, it's fun to be at the rink."

He was a late addition after Larson saw Meier play in Fargo's camp the first week of June. After Larson got the St. Cloud State job in April, he made a road trip to Fargo to meet Meier and make sure he wanted to honor his national letter of intent.

The original plan was to have Meier play another season with Fargo, but Larson said that changed after watching him perform in that camp.

"This is a big year and we felt he could be a piece of it and that he was ready to help us," said Larson, who inherits 21 returning players from last season's NCHC regular season championship team. "(Meier) just won a USHL (playoff) championship and was one of the top players on his team.

"I wouldn't say it was a no-brainer ... but pretty close."

Meier is one of three freshman defensemen and his addition gives the Huskies nine defensemen on their roster. Typically, teams dress six defensemen for games, though that is likely to change to seven for St. Cloud State this season.

The NCAA is allowing teams to dress 19 skaters this season after allowing 18 in previous seasons. Even with the additional roster spot, there's likely to be some tough decisions for Larson as to which defensemen will play during the season.

"There's going to be healthy competition to be in that seven (dressing defensemen) and I think healthy competition is a good thing in any position," Larson said. "We've got that in net the net, on the blue line and, in all honesty, we've got it up front, too. There's a lot of really good forwards who can all play."

St. Cloud State has four returning defensemen who were regulars last season: upperclassmen Jimmy Schuldt, Jon Lizotte and Jack Ahcan all played in all 40 games last season and sophomore Luke Jaycox played in 39.

Mika Ilvonen, who played in 27 games last season on defense, will play forward this season.

So why bring in a big freshman class of defensemen?

"I'm not going to lie: I wanted those three (freshman) defensemen to be around Jimmy Schuldt and Jack Achan and Jon Lizotte to learn from those guys because they're some of the best defensemen in all of college hockey," said Larson, a former Minnesota-Duluth defenseman. "I think a lot of their leadership and attitude and work ethic ... I wanted those (freshman) kids to be around that."

Here's a capsule look at the six freshmen on the St. Cloud State men's hockey team:

Brendan Bushy tied for 16th among United States Hockey League defensemen in plus/minus (plus-14) last season for the Dubuque Fighting Saints. He joins the St. Cloud State men's hockey team this fall.(Photo11: Courtesy of Hickling Images)

Note: Played on USHL Team USA for the World Junior A Challenge Tournament. Played two seasons for Dubuque after playing for Thief River Falls High School. Younger brother, Evan, has verbally committed to SCSU.

Strengths: "He wants to rely upon his defensive side first, but we also saw him develop a great ability with the puck in tight areas to get out and help us exit the zone and he played on the right or the left side and is a great skater," Dubuque coach Oliver David said. "He was an alternate captain and a good one with a stable personality. He loves being one of the guys and was well-liked and was goofy at times, which is an endearing quality.

"He's really capable on his edges of turning the corner with the puck and starting the offense and he can really shoot it."

Things to work on: "You go up a level and you're going to have to add to your game and the bar gets raised," David said. "I don't know what the expectations are for him at St. Cloud State, but I expect to see in time he's going to develop into a household name."

Forward Sam Hentges split last season between the Tri-City Storm and the Des Moines Buccaneers of the United States Hockey League. In the summer, he was selected by the Minnesota Wild in the seventh round of the NHL Entry Draft. He joins the St. Cloud State men's hockey team this fall.(Photo11: Courtesy of Hickling Images)

Notes: Played high school hockey for Totino-Grace before last season. Played on USHL Team USA for the World Junior A Challenge Tournament. Missed time last season because of a shoulder injury. Selected in the seventh round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft (210th overall) by Minnesota Wild.

Strengths: "He can really skate, got great legs, great quickness and great feet," said Huskies assistant coach Nick Oliver, who was an assistant coach in the USHL last season. "He gets to a lot of pucks and is really competitive. So he's not one of those kids that skates around and doesn't get a ton done. He knows what he's doing.

"He impacts the play with and without the puck with his skating. He only played half a season of junior hockey and didn't really have a summer," Oliver said, referring to offseason surgery. "We didn't know what to expect, but he's off to a fast start. Good skill set, scoring ability, has a quick stick and quick release."

Things to work on: "He's not much to look at off the ice in terms of muscle mass," Oliver said. "But he's deceptively really strong on his skates. He's strong in the corners and can win puck battles.

"He needs to build off his legs and his feet and continue to get stronger."

Strengths: "He can shoot the puck, has good vision, great hockey sense and is very coachable," Fargo head coach/general manager Cary Eades said. "He's a very well-rounded defenseman. He's not just a guy who plays offense. He can defend.

"His poor games are never very poor, just below average. Out of the 74 games we ended up playing, there were very few poor games from Spencer."

Things to work on: "He's just an above average skater at our level and it's the area he probably needs to work on the most, just some technical things with it," Eades said. "A lot of it is just maturity and getting more leg strength.

"That's where his dedication and training is going to pay off. If he ever gets from being a good to a great skater, that's where his NHL potential comes in because he has a got a real mind for the game and is a competitor."

Forward Micah Miller, a Grand Rapids High School graduate, tied for 10th in the United States Hockey League in goals last season with 24 in 60 regular season games. Miller joins the St. Cloud State men's hockey team this fall.(Photo11: Courtesy of Hickling Images)

Micah Miller

Notes: Tied for 10th in the USHL in goals last season. Won a Class 2A boys state hockey championship with Grand Rapids High School and helped Sioux City reach the Clark Cup finals in 2017.

Strengths: "Micah is a very electric player," said Luke Strand, Sioux City's head coach and director of hockey operations. "He's got a very impressive explosion with his legs and he has the puck skill to keep up with that speed.

"Micah can get to the net with the puck and go into the corners," said Strand, a former Calgary Flames scout. "He's gifted at scoring goals and his offensive consistency grew as the season went on."

Things to work on: "He takes the game personally, in a good way," Strand said. "Physically or emotionally, there's some jam to his game. There's layers to his game."

Nick Perbix was named to the All-USHL third team after finishing tied for fourth among league defensemen in plus/minus (plus-19). A sixth-round pick in 2017 of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Perbix joins the St. Cloud State men's hockey team this fall.(Photo11: Courtesy of to Hickling Images)

Nick Perbix

Notes: An All-USHL third team pick after finishing tied for 13th in the USHL in plus/minus during the regular season. Drafted in the sixth round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft (169th overall) by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Strengths: "He's creative, smart, can play a lot of minutes and plays both ends of the rink," said Omaha head coach and general manager David Wilkie, a former NHL player. "He was our No. 1 guy last year and was fantastic in every situation. Our hockey team would not have had the success it did without him.

"He skates well, but he's not a guy you look at and wows you with his skating. But he can get up and down the rink, has good lateral movement and skates faster when he has the puck on his stick, which is really good. He's a really good, big, long defenseman."

Things to work on: "There's not a lot of weaknesses," Wilkie said. "You get less time and space at the next level and he'll be playing against players who are bigger, stronger and older.

"There are so many really good technical aspects to his game, I don't see there being a lot of struggle there. He's going to end up getting pad to play hockey for a long time."

Forward Nolan Walker tied for 18th in the United States Hockey League in points (50) in 59 games last season for the Sioux Falls Stampede. He joins the St. Cloud State men's hockey team this fall.(Photo11: Courtesy of Hickling Images)

Nolan Walker

Notes: Tied for 18th in the USHL in points during the regular season. Played on USHL Team USA for the World Junior A Challenge Tournament. Before playing for the Stampede, played for Culver Academy where former SCSU All-American Nic Dowd played.

Strengths: "He's got a lot of natural instincts, an ability to make plays and to finish," said Sioux Falls head coach/general manager Scott Owens, a former Colorado College head coach. "He can play the game at a high speed, really good team player and outstanding offensive threat.

"He's a key piece to our top power-play unit. His game translates very well to college, the NCHC and St. Cloud State's style of play. Once he adjusts and adapts to college hockey, he's going to be an outstanding player."

Things to work on: "He played one year of junior hockey, so he's working on team defense, but he's got some natural offensive ability that's hard to find," Owens said.

Follow Mick Hatten on Twitter, Instagram @MickHatten and at Facebook.com/sctimesmick. Reach him by phone at 259-3621, by email at mhatten@stcloudtimes.com.

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St. Cloud State men's and women's hockey coaches and athletes are the focus of this week's chat.
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